


Don't Wanna Be the Right Way Round

by danehemmings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabble, Gen, M/M, posting a bunch of old things today
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 15:09:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10924398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danehemmings/pseuds/danehemmings
Summary: A secret passage is directly to his left, one that James and Black surely know of, but all the same could lead Severus far from them and to the crowd by the Great Hall. He'd make it, and the pair would be forced to give up and try again another day.Severus ignores the passage, and slows his pace slightly. James and Black draw nearer, and Severus can't help but feel triumphant at keeping James' interest. He knows it’s twisted, to want James to bully him, to have a stupid crush on such an arse. Still, he never has the will to avoid any sort of attention James gives him, good or bad.





	Don't Wanna Be the Right Way Round

**Author's Note:**

> Title from All We Do by Oh Wonder

James Potter was Severus' living nightmare.

~~

Severus sneers at James from across the classroom. James meets his gaze, and doesn't look away, doesn't even blink. It makes Severus feel like the rats they use in Transfiguration; the urge to scamper away makes his heart flutter.

But Severus is being too kind. James doesn't think him as valuable as a rat. A rat, at least, could be of some practical use to him (is of some practical use to him), but Severus, Severus is nothing but a minor amusement. Something for James to poke at when he gets bored, and nothing more. He may stare now, while Slughorn draws the class's attention towards Severus' successful potion, but it’s meaningless. Another meaningless prank plotted, another way for a laugh at Severus' expense.

James' eyes move back where they usually rest; onto Lily, who is sat beside Severus. She ignores him, or doesn't notice, as the bell rings and she turns to pack up her bag. Severus feels a pang of jealousy. He wanted James to keep looking at him. He shoves the feeling down deep, where the rest of his feelings towards James are buried.

Severus gathers up his things, says a curt goodbye to Lily, and hurries out of the classroom. James is whispering to Black as he walks past. Severus knows, from past experience, that they have the next period free. Its often that he'll get cornered on his way to the dungeons. He's ahead of them, today, having rushed out as soon as he could, but he can feel their eyes on his back.

A secret passage is directly to his left, one that James and Black surely know of, but all the same could lead Severus far from them and to the crowd by the Great Hall. He'd make it, and the pair would be forced to give up and try again another day.

Severus ignores the passage, and slows his pace slightly. James and Black draw nearer, and Severus can't help but feel triumphant at keeping James' interest. He knows it’s twisted, to want James to bully him, to have a stupid crush on such an arse. Still, he never has the will to avoid any sort of attention James gives him, good or bad.

He hears a bark of laughter, and a indiscernible whisper, and suddenly he's dangling upside down. His bag falls off his shoulders, scattering quills, ink, and books everywhere. James and Black loom in front of him, James grinning with his wand raised, and Black laughing. A few passersby giggle, but none intervene.

“Oh no,” Black gasps mockingly, stooping to pick up Severus' ink coated Charms book, “We've ruined Snivellus' schoolbooks.”

“A real shame,” James says. He lifts his arm higher, and Severus floats upwards until his feet touch the ceiling. Black throws the Charms book at him, and it misses his head by an inch.

“Poor aim,” James scoffs, grabbing a different textbook, “Try again? I'll give you five galleons if you can hit him in the nose.”

Black takes the book from James with a gleeful smile, “Easy.”

The book hits Severus in the middle of his forehead. He blinks, stunned briefly by the pain, before snarling, “Thought you were supposed to be on the Quidditch team, Black.”

James snorts, but turns it into a cough as Black glowers at Severus.

“I don't think you're in any position to be critiquing me, Snivellus,” Black snaps.

“You're like a dog that only knows one trick,” Severus says, not entirely uncomfortable with his unfavorable position. It was the usual, for James and Black. It stopped being so bad halfway through fifth year, so that unless there were witnesses, Severus wasn't much affected by it. He'd mostly done his best to hide it, rather than suffer from some new trick (or have James tire of him).

James' smile had dropped at the word 'dog', and Severus finds himself falling, headfirst, to the floor. He lands hard, and hears Black cackle.

“Aw, poor Snivellus is bored by us,” Black says, kicking a broken bottle of ink towards Severus.

“We'll think of something better,” James says, recovering his grin, “So you can stay entertained, Snivellus.”

Severus stands, and dusts off his robes with as much dignity as he can muster, “I'll be shocked if you can think up anything on your own, seeing as all you're genius ideas seem to have come from me.”

Black flicks his wand, and Severus is knocked backwards onto his back. As he steps over Severus, he scolds, “You can't even defend against your own spells, think of how pitiful you'll be against ours.”

“How much more pitiful,” James corrects, following after Black.

Severus waits until they've turned the corner to stand and gather his things.

~~


End file.
